10 YEARS A SAINT: Remembering Mother Teresa and Her Footprints in Papua New Guinea

Ten years ago, on 4 September 2016, Pope Francis declared Blessed Teresa of Kolkata a Saint in St. Peter's Square. The canonization drew thousands, including homeless people who were given places of honour to witness the occasion.

A decade later, as the Church celebrates her feast day, Papua New Guinea marks a dual anniversary: 10 years of her sainthood and 51 years of the presence of the Missionaries of Charity. This year also coincides with the nation's 50th Independence Anniversary.

Mother Came Three Times

Mother Teresa visited Papua New Guinea on three occasions.

The foundation of the Missionaries of Charity Sisters in PNG began after a meeting in Australia. The then Bishop of Port Moresby, Archbishop Virgil Patrick Copas MSC, met Mother Teresa there and invited her to consider a mission in Papua New Guinea. Mother Teresa passed through Port Moresby after that meeting and subsequently sent her Sisters.

The first house was opened in Tokarara in 1974. The second followed in 1975 in Hanuabada. The third was opened in Kerema in 1977. The Kerema house will celebrate its Golden Jubilee in February next year.

Residents of Tokarara, Hanuabada and Kerema still recall meeting Mother Teresa during those visits.

51 Years in Papua New Guinea

From three foundations, the mission has grown quietly and faithfully. Today the Sisters are present in nine provinces.

Their presence includes the Archdiocese of Port Moresby and the Dioceses of Bereina/Kerema, Madang including Karkar Island, Wewak and Vanimo, Kimbe, Lae, and Mendi in the Highlands. Additional houses were maintained in other locations over the years.

The Sisters maintain a general and non-sensational approach to their work. Their ministry is pastoral and apostolic – living among the poorest of the poor, caring for the sick, the dying and the abandoned, and sharing the joy of Christ through humble presence and prayer.

A Call to Mercy – Wisdom from Her Own Words

Fr. Brian Kolodiejchuk, MC, Postulator of Mother Teresa's cause for sainthood, edited the book A Call to Mercy: Hearts to Love, Hands to Serve – a 384-page volume published weeks ahead of the canonization during the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy.

The book draws on testimonies that formed part of the cause for sainthood, material typically unavailable to the public for decades. It presents Mother Teresa's teaching on compassion in everyday life.

The timing of the canonization during the Year of Mercy was considered fitting, as Mother Teresa is regarded both inside and outside the Church as an icon of divine mercy.

Her other well-known work, Come Be My Light, reveals her interior life and union with Christ. A Call to Mercy presents the practical expression: hearts to love, hands to serve.

In it, Mother Teresa addresses themes that remain relevant to Papua New Guinea – how to love when it hurts, and how to serve Jesus in the distressing disguise of the poor.

What Remains After 10 Years?

After 10 years of sainthood, the enduring lesson may be summarized in one word: Mercy.

The central teaching remains: to do small things with great love. As noted in A Call to Mercy, Mother Teresa modeled mercy not as an abstract idea, but as hands that serve.

For Papua New Guinea, where the Sisters have served for 51 years, the lesson retains its relevance: to serve without counting the cost, to give until it hurts, and to find joy in that giving.

On this 10th anniversary of the canonization, we express gratitude for the gift of Saint Teresa of Calcutta to the Church, and for the Sisters who continue her work in Papua New Guinea.

Note: In respect of the Sisters' wish for simplicity, the file photo of Saint Teresa and Saint John Paul II is used for this article.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for Papua New Guinea.

Mother Teresa (St. Teresa of Calcutta) – Quotes:

1.  "Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love."

2.  "I do not agree with the big way of doing things. To us what matters is an individual."

3.  "I believe in person to person; every person is Christ for me."

4.  "Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless."

5.  "If you judge people, you have no time to love them."